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How can marketers best use Facebook video ads to achieve higher engagement and boost marketing campaigns in 2021?
Let’s explore the Facebook video advertising trends gaining momentum in 2021.
1. More Focus on Silent Video Ads
It’s not news that Facebook users mostly watch videos on this platform without any sound. According to the statistics, 85% of people disable the sound icon on the video before watching it. Moreover, 80% of Facebook users also have a negative reaction to the video ads that are playing loudly.
To solve this problem, the majority of brands started using image-based ads over videos. That’s why you might have noticed so many sponsored product picture ads in your Facebook feed.
However, since the role of videos in marketing is growing, in 2021, we’ll start seeing more silent video ads. Such videos can use simple graphics to demonstrate the product, like in the example below:
Also, subtitles can come in handy if a Facebook video ad contains product demonstration:
As you can see, there are plenty of options to run a silent Facebook video ad that still preserves its intent and purpose.
However, there are a few things you need to keep in mind:
A silent video ad is not a silent movie. The subtitles may be a good way out, but the length of your Facebook video ad still matters. Keep it short and to-the-point.
Rely on visuals. Since you cannot add audio to your ads, visuals are a must as they will help you to deliver your message.
Add a CTA. It can come up in the subtitles or as a visual, but make it visible and noticeable since your target audience won’t be able to hear it.
One more important thing here – take advantage of the description on top of your Facebook video ad. It’s a way for you to say anything you cannot say in the video and a great opportunity to improve your ad’s discoverability with relevant keywords.
2. The Shorter the Video Ad Is, the Better
Since we started talking a bit about the length of Facebook video ads in the previous section, let’s discuss it in more detail.
Over the past few years, internet users have shown their preference for shorter videos. For instance, the study by TechSmith found that the majority of viewers liked watching videos that are three to six-minute long:
Credit: TechSmith
Interestingly, videos that are less than a minute or under two also have a rather low performance. This data can be very useful when it comes to Facebook video ads since their engagement rates also depend a lot on the length of the video.
Of course, the overall length of your video ads will depend on the industry your brand finds itself in. For instance, the target audience of an e-commerce company is more likely to find a 30-second product demonstration more engaging. Also, a short video is a great way for an e-commerce business to advertise a promotion:
Meanwhile, the audience of a SaaS company might enjoy a longer product review. Such companies can invest in more informative ads, but preferably silent and with subtitles.
It’s also a great idea to give your Facebook ads a trial run. Martin Harris, a marketing team lead and content writer at GetGoodGrade, advises doing the A/B video testing of an ad – creating two variants of one Facebook ad and checking how your audience responds to them. This way, you can also find the optimal length for your ads.
Also, it’s worth investing in short video ads if you’re going to reuse them on many social media platforms. While Facebook is not very picky about the length of a video ad, Instagram and Snapchat are. So, making your video ads short right away will save you a lot of time.
3. Storytelling Ads Will Stay Hot in 2021
Storytelling was a marketing buzzword of 2020. And it’s not just an empty statement – take a look at this word’s performance in Google Trends over the past 12 months:
Credit: Google Trends
As you can see, the popularity of storytelling has been relatively stable. And, it is expected to impact Facebook video advertising trends in 2021 as well.
Why are people so hooked on storytelling?
A story helps structure the narrative in a way that makes it more memorable. Research also proves this fact – a story is 22 times easier to remember than plain facts. Besides, stories always have something that people can relate to, and that’s what makes storytelling so popular.
How to shape your Facebook video ad into a story?
It’s always a great idea to make an ad about an experience with a product. For instance, the Facebook ad below shows a woman who’s struggling with breakouts and how the brand’s solution helps her get rid of them:
The story in this ad is very relatable – it features a real person with real struggles and addresses a problem that many people will find relevant.
The only problem with storytelling and Facebook ads is that it’s very hard to tell it in brief. Good stories are always rich in details, and the format of an ad doesn’t always allow that.
So, to keep your content short, you can try to write a script for your Facebook video ad. Keep it straight-to-the-point and use visuals to minimize the text. Also, make accents on the pivotal parts of the story through subtitles or images. It will help you make the story in your ad more vivid.
4. Brands Will Take More Advantage of UGC
User-generated content (UGC) has been gaining momentum in marketing over the past few years. Many brands have fallen in love with this strategy for several reasons:
increasing brand awareness
improve lead nurturing
gain audience insights
improve SEO
boost personalization
Companies mainly use UGC in their social media and blog content, but they also start appearing more in video ads. For instance, in the ad below, a consumer shares why she is a fan of the brand:
You can also encourage your customers to review your products. In this case, you can also make them ambassadors of your brand.
How to ask the customers for user-generated content?
Find the dedicated fans of your brand. For this, you need to do some community outreach and find those customers who have been with you for some time. You can do it via a social media post to reach more people.
Be upfront about the purpose of the content. If some of your consumers are going to be featured in your Facebook video ad, they should know about it and give their consent.
Offer rewards. Express your appreciation of your customers’ creativity by praising them with meaningful rewards.
Will UGC help your Facebook video ads deliver more sales?
Statistically, yes. Reportedly, user-generated content brings at least an 18% boost in sales. However, your success will depend on how well you will leverage user-generated content and how relevant your target audience will find it.
5. Facebook Video Ads will Feature More Influencers
Much like user-generated content, influencer marketing has been on the rise lately. Brands partner with influencers to boost brand awareness, attract more customers, and simply promote products.
And, like in the case of UGC, brands mostly collaborate with these niche opinion leaders on featured posts and rarely in ads. Meanwhile, featuring an influencer in your Facebook video ads can help you reach a more diverse audience and add credibility to your promotion.
It’s not always necessary to hire an influencer to appear in your Facebook video ad. You can simply feature their review of your product. For instance, in the example below, a video ad includes a review from Business Insider:
Influencer marketing is a pretty good investment. On average, you can get up to $5 ROI for every dollar spent on such a partnership. Plus, influencers can open the door to a new audience, so if you are planning to expand your reach with Facebook video ads, featuring an influencer in them will have a positive effect.
Wrapping Up
Video content will define Facebook advertising in 2021. Videos already have a huge impact on marketing, deliver stellar brand awareness and engagement rates. So, using more videos in Facebook ads is absolutely worth every penny.
As for the trends, first and foremost, try to focus on making a Facebook video ad without any sound. Facebook users aren’t very keen on watching videos with sound. So, take advantage of subtitles and visuals.
Apart from that, keep your videos short but engaging. Use storytelling, involve user-generated content, and feature influencers. These strategies might help you capture the attention of potential customers. For more information about promoting businesses using Facebook, check out the Guide to Facebook for Business.
Judging from these trends, 2021 will be an exciting year for Facebook advertising. Giving these trends a try will help your brand stand out in the Facebook feed.
